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A Note From Dr. Christianson

Hi !

About 25 years ago I got my first job in the natural health industry. At that time, health food was for hippies and cranks. I also worked in a nursing home. My coworkers there really didn’t get it. I got so bored of explaining to everyone, over their looks of horror, what my lunch was. Kale, adzuki beans and brown rice. Really pretty simple, but you’d think it was eye of newt and roadkill. It’s always amazed me how health care workers can be so belligerently ignorant about health!

But, today, I saw that the world has officially changed. As I filled up our Prius, I saw an ad for the new menu item for the adjoining McDonalds: oatmeal! I was blown away! People are starting to get it and big business is starting to notice! Of course if you go to McDonald’s and just ask for oatmeal, you’ll end up with more sugar, fat, chemicals and calories than a bowl of fruit loops. But, if you find yourself on your way without a wholesome breakfast, you now have the option of pulling up to a McDonald’s anywhere and asking for oatmeal without the ‘light cream’, brown sugar, and ‘fruit’. We’re getting there!

In Good Health,

Dr. Christianson

PS – Thanks to everyone who came to my first book signing over the weekend! If you missed it, I’m doing another book signing TONIGHT from 7-9pm at the Barnes and Noble on the 101 and Shea. Would love to see you and answer any thyroid questions you have.

Attack of the Plants!

I‘ve had a number of folks ask lately about my backyard garden, and I’m pleased to report that it is up and running with my daughter/sidekick Anna helping daily with the upkeep. It’s been a great experience thus far and although we’re a few months away from enjoying the fruits of our labor (pun intended), we’re all learning to respect the environment and well on our way toward living more like a locavore. If you’re interested in starting your own garden, I highly recommend Desert Gardening for Beginners by Cathy Cromwell, Linda Guy and Lucy Bradley.

Plants, however, don’t get a lot of the credit they deserve and in fact, as you’ll see in a minute, they get a lot of flack for causing seasonal allergies. I recently saw a great discussion on plants by Dr. Stefano Mancuso who argued that plants are much more intelligent than we think, and we often underestimate their abilities. For example, have you ever been asked, “What is the largest creature on Earth?” Most folks answer with, “the blue whale” and you would be incorrect. The blue whale is dwarfed by a plant that has the distinction of being the biggest creature on the planet. Any guesses? It’s the sequoiadendron giganteum or the magestic sequoias in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, with a mass of over 2,000 tons (blue whales are estimated between 150-170 tons).

Now some of you might argue that plants are not “creatures” because they can’t move, don’t have brains and can’t communicate. Interestingly, you’d be wrong on all accounts here as well! Plants can move, as demonstrated through a process known as phototropism or movement with the sun, and can be seen in this time-lapsed video. The venus fly trap is another good example of plant movement. Plants may not have brains as we normally imagine them, but even as early as 1880, Charles Darwin, the father of the concept of evolution, wrote a facinating book called The Power of Movement in Plants that refuted this claim. This over 500-page book waits for the last paragraph to state that, “it is hardly an exaggeration to say that a specific part of a plant [the radicle] has the power to control movements of other parts of the plant; acting like the brain of one of the lower animals.” Don’t look now, but your houseplants may be watching you.

It’s how plants “communicate” that they cause so much trouble for people. Plants often use birds, bats, bees, reptiles and most relevant for us, the wind, to move their pollen from one plant to another. This accomplishes the plant’s need to “talk” with other plants, but unfortunately it puts these signals into the air for unsuspecting people to inhale or come in contact with their skin. For 40 million of my fellow Americans, seasonal allergies are a big problem. Symptoms associated with seasonal allergies consist of a runny nose, watery eyes, phlegm production, sneezing and itchy eyes/nose/skin/everywhere. Over the past couple of years I’ve had some great luck, both in the practice and for myself, with three major therapeutics: D-Hist, isoquercetin and the use of a neti pot for nasal passage irrigation. These treatments calm the above symptoms, but the body’s allergic response can still be an issue. This is where “allergy shots” have been helpful for many people. This therapy uses injections under the skin of dilute substances that you are allergic to (allergens) to calm the immune system by “getting it used to” these allergens. The problem with these injections is that they hurt and most people need to undergo injections for 3-5 years.

This is why I’m particularly excited about SLIT, or sublingual immunotherapy, which uses the same principles as injection immunotherapy but instead has the patient apply drops of specific allergens under the tongue. These drops are tasteless but more importantly, painless. Studies suggest this alternative delivery method is just as effective as “allergy shots.”

At Integrative Health we’re getting the infrastructre in place to offer these drops for your specific allergies. Using highly sensitive blood tests, we can measure your allergies and then create a specific desensitization mixture for you. Using your smart phone’s camera (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.), scan the following QR code for more information (or just click the link below the code).

I’ve been noticing these symbols all over town and just recently learned how they work. They basically are like the bar codes found on products at the grocery store that imbeds all the information about the particular product. QR codes, however, imbed website information that when scanned using your phone take you directly to that website. Try it out! (you’ll need the free app for your phone: enter the following address on your smart phone and it will automatically detect the software you need:

Although plants can cause a lot of trouble when it comes to allergies, I hope you’ll respect their abilities a little more in the future. We’re working hard to find effective alternatives to treating your allergies and look forward to offering long-term relief.

_______________

(c) 2010- Integrative Health Care, PC

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Phil Wazny, NMD, is a naturopathic physician at Integrative Health, a clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. His areas of specialty are permanent weight loss, natural pediatrics, allergy solutions, hormone balancing, and pain control with prolotherapy and PRP therapy. He can be reached at www.MyIntegrativeHealth.com and at (480) 657-0003.

Events

Heavy Metal, and I Don’t Mean Metallica | Dr. Alan ChristiansonToxic metals can slow your brain, cause Alzheimer’s and even cancer. Many can be carrying toxic loads and not be aware. Learn how to avoid environmental toxic metals and safely detoxify.

Date |Mar 8, 2011 Time |6 PM – 7 PMLocation | Integrative Health

What a Pain in the Neck! | Dr. Phil Wazny

A fresh perspective that will illuminate how you can banish chronic pain!

Date |Mar 15, 2011 Time |6 PM – 7 PMLocation | Integrative Health

It’s all FREE, so come out and learn a fresh approach to living well. Space is really limited so please call the office at (480) 657-0003 to reserve your spot!

Recipe – Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Parsley and Mint

Here’s a great salad recipe that incorporates many of the veggies we’re planting in our garden. We can’t wait to use our own ingredients soon!

4 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

In large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley and mint. In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and mustard. Add to tomato mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.